The 2020 municipal elections in Costa Rica were local elections in Costa Rica held on Sunday, February 2, 2020 to elect all municipal offices in the country.
Mayors, aldermen, syndics (district council presidents), district councilors and the intendants of eight special autonomous districts, together with their respective alternates in all cases (see local government in Costa Rica). This was the fifth direct municipal election since the amendment to the 1998 Municipal Code and the second to be held mid-term since the 2009 reform.
In Santa Cruz, María Rosa López of the PLN or Partido Liberación Nacional, the National Liberation Party lost her mayoral seat to a new local party. The PLN is a member of Socialists International. The Socialist International (SI) is a worldwide organisation of political parties which seek to establish democratic socialism. It consists mostly of democratic socialist, social-democratic and labour political parties and other organizations.
The local party that defeated National Liberation in Santa Cruz was the Authentica Santa Cruzan party (PAS) led by highschool principal Jorge Arturo “Gallo” Alfaro.
The National Liberation Party (PLN) also lost for the first time in the party’s history in Nicoya, the only canton in Guanacaste it has always won in city elections. The Great Nicoya party, is the first local party to take city hall in the canton.
In Liberia, former mayor Luis Gerardo “Pipo” Castañeda from PUSC, beat out Alejandra Larios of the PLN by 172 votes.
Clearly the people of Guanacaste are ready for change and looked for new ideas and policies. We will see how much change these new leaders can bring about over the coming months.
